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Sunday, 30 June 2013

Now, I know you're probably thinking "Millie can't even sit up yet, let alone play with an iPhone' but, this topic is something I have researched and been keen on ever since I started university last year. It was actually going to be one of the topics I had planned to choose for my dissertation (but I never got that far thanks to a bit of hanky panky)!

When you see or hear the word EDUCATION you automatically think of school, books, teachers... Boring stuff, right? Well, you may be forgetting that we live in the 21st Century now and education can come in so many different ways - one of these controversial ways is Games Consoles or devices such as iPhones, iPads, Tablets etc. Although these devices tend to receive a mixed review in terms of providing our children with knowledge and education, games have become available that provide a fun, educational platform to further children's development, e.g. scrabble, words with friends, alphabet quizzes and also simple hand eye co-ordination games you can get on the Nintendo Gameboy / DS (which can be found here).

I think you need to remember that a child will learn better doing something they find stimulating rather than being sat and told they must read a book. All children have different learning styles too, some would prefer to read whereas some like to involve other people and be active in their learning. Gaming consoles such as the Wii will provide this stimulant but also engage the child in education without them knowing.

Education and learning doesn't just cover the forms of reading, writing or counting but also day to day activities and games consoles may provide a way of children learning about these things. Looking at it with an open mind, a child that plays racing games may have a better awareness when it comes to driving than a child that never played them. Obviously, it goes tongue in cheek when I say this as the argument that may slap me in the face is the war games children play don't necessarily have a positive impact on their lives.

Gioteck make a range of gaming accessories, such as gaming pads, headsets etc that will support a child in playing and learning at the same time. They are also in the process of manufacturing some accessories to be used on handheld consoles / devices, so keep an eye out of those coming soon!

Do you agree that a gaming device can encourage a child to learn or do you think education should be kept to books and schooling? I'd love to know your opinion!

Friday, 28 June 2013

As you may have seen, we try to get out and about as much as possible. Even more so now it is 'summer'. After coming back from Cornwall, we are now on the look out for another holiday in this country...

We have already booked to go away to Brighton in August for another short break and also for Adam's birthday. We managed to get a super good deal with Travel Lodge and got 3 nights for £35 a night at the Travel lodge right on the seafront in Brighton. Bargain. The only worry here is that we are going to have to eat out every night or stick to junk food and eat it in the hotel room as we're a little constricted on space etc. This is why we found the cottage such an ideal way to go away with a newborn.

Another place I have had my eye on is Whitby. Shoreline holiday cottages in Whitby offer a home from home break away which is also dog friendly, great for our family as there are 2 dogs that love to be outside, as you may have seen in these pictures. A cottage break is perfect for a new family like ours as all the facitilies to make bottles etc is right there and you can cook when you want and what you want. Easy peasy! Whitby is the perfect place for a break away with cobbled streets and vintage shops, it's pleasing on the eye and you won't get bored of watching the boats come in and out of shore.

You also can't fault a good old camping holiday. These days, it's not necessarily all tents and sleeping bags but you can rent out caravans or even try a spot of 'glamping' if the cold, hard floor isn't your sort of thing. With a newborn, you will probably find that a caravan holiday would be more suitable as it is warmer and houses the facilities you need in those early hours to make bottles. I'd love to go up to Skegness for a weekend to gamble some pennies and to eat Fish and Chips on the pier!

So, if you're in need of a break then why not make use of our fabulous seasides and have a holiday in England?!

Have you booked to go away on one of these sorts of breaks this summer!?

Thursday, 27 June 2013

Lush cosmetics have got to be the most addictive thing ever. No matter what it is, I'll always try it out!

When I went to the Bloggers event at Lush Nottingham, I was kindly given a sample of 'Roots' to try out. Now... As I have mentioned in a few hair posts, I do suffer with greasy hair so when it comes to hair treatments, I am always a little sceptical as to how they are going to work for me. Roots did not disappoint, I'm glad to say!

(I apologise for using the web image but I forgot to take pictures and used the last little bit up last night!)

Roots is a treatment that boosts your hair 'from root to tip' but I was advised, due to my greasy hair, not to use it on my roots as much but to focus on my ends. So that's how I have used it and I bloody love it! With a peppermint fragrance, it leaves my hair smelling so fresh and clean and puts the softness back into it as well. Because I dye my hair so frequently, the ends break really easily so this gives it the little bit of TLC that it's after.

I have found that if I was my hair first then apply Roots for about 10-15 minutes, swill off with clean water and re-wash my hair, it doesn't feel too dry but when I used it after shampooing and just washed it out, my ends felt dead dry and my scalp become really greasy - even though I didn't apply it to my roots! I guess the technique with this is to try different ways of using it until you find the best that suits you!

I love a good hair pamper every now and again so when I go back to a Lush store, I'll definitely be making a re-purchase of this bad boy!

Wednesday, 26 June 2013

If you saw my post on when we went to Cornwall, you will have noticed that I said we went to the Eden Project and that I was doing a seperate post on it. Well... Here it is.

If you haven't heard of the Eden Project, here is a brief summary of what it is all about:

"The Eden Project does much more than offer a memorable day out in Cornwall. Eden is also a charity and social enterprise"

As well as creating stunning gardens and laying on fantastic arts and music events, much of our energy goes into:

running transformational social and environmental projects on our doorstep and around the world

creating unforgettable learning experiences for students

doing valuable research into plants and conservation

making sure we run our operations in the greenest possible way.

You may have seen pictures of the two huge domes and that's what the Eden Project is. They have created 2 Biomes that house different climates to give you a taste of what it would be like in those climates. The rainforest one is so humid and hot that you can't stay in there for long and because it was a hot day anyway, they actually had to shut part of it off as it was too hot for people to go there.

There are gardens you walk round with thousands of types of plant and flower all with their own meaning and purpose on the planet.

It was such a good day and we would definitely go again. The good thing is that once you pay, you can choose to gift your ticket money to the charity and get free entry for a whole year, so obviously... We did just that!

I'd honestly recommend anyone that is in Cornwall to visit the Eden Project. It is such a good experience, even if you're not a massive nature lover!